Samsung Engineer Reveals True Cost Of Note 10's S Pen

Samsung is about to launch a stunning new smartphone and it is not the Galaxy Note 10. Furthermore, we now know that what makes the Note range so special, may actually become its downfall.

Samsung's Galaxy Note 10+ looks stunning but it the appeal only skin deep? Render based on extensive leaks

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In a shock confession, popular Samsung insider Ice Universe has revealed Samsung engineers admit that the inclusion of Galaxy Note 10’s iconic S Pen comes at a huge cost to the device itself. And it’s a cost which raises significant question marks.

Ice states that the engineers told him the space required to house the S Pen has cut a massive 800 mAh off the size of the Note 10’s battery (roughly 20% in a year Apple is increasing capacity 20%). That it has stopped the company from using “aggressive cameras” and forced Samsung to fit the Note 10 with larger bezels than needed.

Battery life, camera performance and design - given performance is virtually guaranteed these days, they are the three pillars of modern smartphone success. And the Note range, and the Note 10, in particular, appears to be competing with one hand tied behind its back.

With calls growing for Samsung to kill the S Pen, the revelations from Ice Universe do place question marks over the future of the Note range. Especially since Samsung has been contemplating cancelling it for some time. Yes, the Note range has some of the most passionate fans in the industry, but there’s a reason no competitor has felt the need to produce a rival product.

Personally speaking, I think killing the Note would be a tragedy. It’s one of the few smartphones with a genuinely innovative differentiator and its customers are famously loyal. But wider sales determine everything and commercial success comes from being able to match rivals, not least Samsung’s own 6-month old S models which are already heavily discounted and can match or, in the case of the Galaxy S10 Plus, outlast the Note series for a lot less money.

Having toyed with ending the Note range last year, the extent of the compromises in 2019 may mean Samsung has inadvertently signed its death warrant this year. So, while it may come up short in some crucial areas, fans would be wise to buy the Galaxy Note 10. It might just be the last chance you get.